Damascus stays up late for Asala's return after a 15-year absence

Thousands stayed up late in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Thursday, listening to Asala Nasri perform at a concert that lasted well past midnight. It was the first concert she has held in her home country after an absence of nearly 15 years, due to her stance against the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Asala opened the concert, titled “The Return of Asala,” at the Fihah Hall in Damascus. The Syrian satellite channel broadcast it live, beginning with the song “Syria is Paradise,” with lyrics by Batoul Zaidan and Yara Ahmad, and music composed by Ali Hassan. She performed a large repertoire of her songs across two sets, each lasting approximately two hours.

She addressed the audience, saying, “Even at this moment, I still can’t believe I am with you. How much I have dreamed of this moment, how much I have dreamed of this meeting, and how much I have prayed to God that by the time we meet, we would have entered a phase of healing. Healing—each of us sees it from their own perspective. For me, I can tell you that healing does not happen except through art and music, and through respecting art and respecting music.”

Culture Minister Muhammad Yassin Saleh honored the returning singer with a shield bearing the symbols of Syria’s provinces. He said, “Asala’s return is the return of every sincere Syrian and every free Syrian to their homeland. Today, we are very proud that our daughter, the daughter of Sham, who left a mark and an impact everywhere, is now leaving a mark and an impact in her homeland, in Syria.”

Asala, 57, is the daughter of the late composer and singer Mustafa Nasri. Her last concert in Syria was in 2010, before she joined the voices opposing the Bashar al-Assad regime, which fell in December 2024.